


Moments to Remember

by Klainelover1997



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:14:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23691451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Klainelover1997/pseuds/Klainelover1997
Summary: Wildlife Veterinarian and Biologist, Kurt Hummel has just scored his dream job working at the Tabankulu Wildlife Rehabilitation and Research Facility in South Africa. Once there, he meets a special Wildlife Vet, that becomes like a mentor to him and maybe something more. All Kurt Hummel knows is that the next year of his life is definitely going to have some Moments to Remember!
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Kurt sat anxiously in the waiting room at the doctor's office. This had been a long overdue appointment...that he really needed to make. He flipped through a magazine, gazing at the different tabloid ridden stores. Jennifer Aniston has broken up with her latest boyfriend and another picture of Kim Kardashian's butt had made the news. To be honest, Kurt had never understood the fascination with women's butts...then again, he was gay. But still!

As he continued to flip through the magazine, he heard the sounds of the door opening before a nurse came in, a chart in her hand. "Kurt Hummel." she said, a cheery smile on her face.

"That's me." Kurt replied, setting the magazine on the coffee table on the side of his chair. He followed the nurse down to the hallway to the nearest exam room.

"Okay, before we start I'm going to need you to take of your shoes. Then we can take your height and weight." She told him. Kurt nodded, took a seat on the nearby chair and unlaced his pair of black converse, before setting them to the side. He walked over to the scale and stepped on. He winced as the nurse grabbed the weights and slid them further to heavier side. He knew that big breakfast Carol had treated him to was a bad idea. "163 pounds, very good." the nurse added with a smile. Kurt let out a sigh of relief. That was a lot lighter than he had thought. Then, he moved to the other side of the wall to let the nurse take his height. This proved to be a bit of a problem. Kurt wasn't short, but his nurse on the other hand was. She practically had to jump to reach the bar to bring it down onto the top of Kurt's head. "Whoo...70 inches." She breathed out finally getting the right measurement. "Alrighty, you can follow me to the exam room."

Kurt nodded and picked up his shoes before following her further down the hallway into another room. "The doctor will be right with you." She told him with a smile.

"Thank you." Kurt called back before taking a seat on the paper covered table. He hated doctor's offices...yet, he had still managed to become a veterinarian and biologist. Things were just easier with animals. He sat on the table for a minute before he heard a knock on the large wooden door. Then, it opened and the familiar face of his doctor, Dr. Grant, walked in.

"Kurt! It's so good to see you." Dr. Grant said, extending his hand out to shake Kurt's hand.

"Good to see you too." Kurt replied, shaking the man's outstretched hand.

"So, what brings you here today, Kurt?" The man asked, taking a seat on the padded rolling chair.

"I'm actually...unfortunately here to get some immunizations." Kurt confessed.

"According to this you're all caught up on your immunizations." Dr. Grant replied.

"Not to go to Africa…" Kurt quickly snuck in.

"Africa?" Dr Grant asked. "Why are you going there?"

"I'm actually moving there." Kurt replied. "I got a job in South Africa. It's at the Tabankulu Wildlife Rehabilitation and Research Facility. I'll be a biologist on their team working to find out why the elephant population is declining." he explained.

"Wow, that sounds amazing." Dr. Grant exclaimed. "When are you leaving?"

"Four weeks." Kurt replied. "So I kind of need these shots now." he added.

"Understood." The doctor replied. "Well, if you're going to Africa you're going to need the Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Hepatitis B, Malaria, Rabies, and Yellow Fever vaccinations."

"Six?" Kurt exclaimed. "I need six shots!"

"Unfortunately." Dr. Grant replied. "You're the one who had to show us all up and become a big time biologist in South Africa. I'll have a nurse come in to administer the shots. But, I wish you the best of luck in Africa, Kurt."

"Thank you." Kurt replied with a smile. He leaned back against the white wall after Dr. Grant left. He was starting to think that maybe this dream job wasn't worth it. However, before Kurt could even really think about it anymore, the nurse came back, vials in hand.

"Okay, are you ready for this?" She asked.

"Honestly, no." Kurt replied, shaking a bit.

"You'll be okay honey." She said soothingly. "I'll put three shots in each arm. I think six in one arm just isn't a good idea." Kurt nodded. He took off his polo, which just left him in his undershirt that revealed his muscular arms. The nurse took a few alcohol swabs out and began to wipe down his arms. "Okay hun, just six pricks and you'll be all done." she said. Kurt nodded, shutting his eyes tightly. Then the nurse began to prick him with each of the needles. Kurt counted each one, praying for the sixth to come. "Okay, you're all done." the nurse finally said. Kurt let out a deep sigh of relief. She put a bandaid on each of his injection sites and then disposed of all the empty syringes in the red medical waste bin.

"Thank you." Kurt told her. "Sorry I'm a baby when it comes to shots." he laughed.

"Hun, I have had full grown men pass out on me when they're getting a flu shot." She replied. "You did fine. You can head out to the front desk to sign out." she added.

"Okay," Kurt laughed. "Thanks again." he added before walking down the hallway to the front desk. He signed all the necessary papers before going out to his car and getting in. Now, he had to head to Breadstix. He had a lunch planned with Rachel and Mercedes, who were both very busy.

Kurt drove to Breadstix and pulled into a parking spot.. He grabbed his wallet and then headed into the restaurant. Once inside, he saw Rachel and Mercedes sitting in a circular booth in the back. They both smiled and waved as Kurt rushed over to them.

"Oh, I missed you guys!" Kurt exclaimed giving both of his friends a hug.

"We missed you too." Mercedes replied, hugging him back.

"So, how are you two?" Kurt asked.

"Broadway is great." Rachel replied. "We're almost finished with rehearsals for Wicked. I can't believe I'm going to be Elphaba."

"I'm so happy for you Rach," Kurt told her.

"The only thing that would make it better is if you were my Glinda." She replied.

"Somehow I don't think your director would like that." Kurt laughed. "I do have the voice to hit those high notes though." he added. "Mercedes, how about you?"

"I'm working on my second album." She replied. "It'll be done sometime in the near future. Then, I'm hoping to go on a second tour. The first was so much fun."

"That's amazing Cedes." Kurt replied. "I'm so happy for you too."

"But what about you? Didn't you say you had some big news too?" Mercedes asked.

"Well…" Kurt started. "I got a job offer. I'm going to be a biologist working on a project to discover why the elephant population is declining."

"Oh Kurt! That's great!" Rachel told him. "I always assumed that you'd be a performer just like us, but this is amazing."

"Yeah, where was this nerdy little science geek back in high school." Mercedes joked.

"He was there." Kurt confessed. "There is one catch though. The job is...in South Africa and I leave in four weeks."

"South Africa!" Both girls exclaimed. "Kurt, that is so far away!" Rachel chimed in.

"I know, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity...and I'm taking it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys sooner. I wanted to do it in person." Kurt told her. "Working in South Africa...it's a dream for a wildlife veterinarian."

"We get it." Mercedes replied. "We're just going to miss you so much? No more hopping on a plane and seeing each other in a few hours. How long is the flight to South Africa?" she asked.

"Twenty-one hours." Kurt groaned. "That's the only part I'm not looking forward too." he confessed. "And then once we get to the airport, I have to drive, two hours to get to the reserve."

"Holy cow!" Rachel said. "That's really far. And, Mercedes is right. We're both going to miss you." Kurt leaned his head down on one of best friend's shoulders.

"I'm going to miss you too." He told them. After that, the server came and took their order and then they ate and caught up with one another. Sadly, though, Kurt realized what time it was and knew it was time to go. He said goodbye to the girls and went out to his car. He still had so many things to do before moving to Africa….and only four weeks to do it.


	2. Chapter 2

Today was finally today. Today was the day that Kurt was leaving for Africa. His bags were packed and he had his work visa and passport. Everything was set. His Dad and Carole had even planned a dinner for the three of them tonight to say goodbye. While that was being prepared, Kurt decided to take a nap, knowing that he probably wouldn't get any sleep on the plane. He laid down on his bed for the very last time and slowly drifted off to sleep.

After passing rem sleep, Kurt drifted into a deep sleep and began to dream…

He was back at the Lima Zoo, when he was a kid. A red balloon in his hand and his Dad as his side. They walked hand in hand through the pathways of the zoo until he came to a large black building. "Are you ready to see mommy, bud?" Burt asked. Kurt nodded his head. Together they went into the building. Down the hall, Kurt saw his mother. She was wearing her zookeeper uniform with her light brown wavy hair pulled into a tight ponytail. He handed his balloon to his father before sprinting down the hallway and into his mother's arms. She picked him up and held him close.

"Hi baby!" She said with a smile. "Are you ready to help me feed the penguins today?"

"Yes mommy," Kurt said enthusiastically. Kurt's mother put him down and took his hand before leading him into the backroom. In the back, there were tanks of fish and buckets. "Do I get to scoop them out?"

"You sure do." She replied with a smile as she handed him a bucket and a net. Kurt, with his little arms reached into the tank and pulled out the fish.

"They're heavy." Kurt replied, grunting as he struggled to pull the net out.

"Do you want help?" Kurt's mother asked.

"No! No! I can do it." Kurt told her. "I'm a big boy." Kurt's mother laughed as she watched her five year old pull out fish after fish, struggling on each one, until finally he had a full bucket. "Okay, let's go feed the penguins." Kurt said happily, tugging along the heavy blue bucket. Kurt's mother smiled and open the heavy black door that led into the penguins enclosure. "Come on penguins! Time to eat! I have fishies!" Kurt shouted. Seeing the familiar blue bucket, the penguins raced over to him. Kurt threw out the fish. "And one for you, and one for you…" Kurt said as he handed out the fish.

Kurt's mother couldn't help but laugh. Kurt's passion for animals was very clear and she knew that he acquired it from her. Burt liked dogs and cats and understood admiring wild animals from afar, but he didn't have the passion like she and Kurt did. For Elizabeth, being able to interact with all of these different animals was a dream come true. And, she knew it was a dream for Kurt too. That was plain to see by the smile on her five year olds face.

"Mommy!" Kurt called. "I want to go play with them now." he told her, handing back the bucket. She nodded and followed him back into the back room where he washed his hands of the fish smell and then headed out into the main room where people observed the animals. Kurt watched as the penguins went back into the water. One swam over to him and Kurt's smile lit up. "I gotcha!" Kurt squealed, patting his little hands on the glass. Then the penguin began to swim to the other side of the tank. "Hey, you get back here!" Kurt called, running as fast as his little legs carry him to the side of the tank. However the penguin wouldn't stop moving. Out of the corner of his eyes, Kurt saw his mother give his father a hug and a kiss while he played.

"Kurt!" Elizabeth called. "Time to go see some more animals!" she called. Kurt heard her, but was determined to catch that penguin so he kept running. "Kurt! Kurt!" Kurt!" she yelled, each one getting fainter and fainter…

Suddenly, Kurt's eyes snapped open. His Dad was sitting on his bed smiling. "Time for dinner, kiddo." Burt replied. "You were in a pretty deep sleep and you were dreaming."

"How did you know I was dreaming?" Kurt asked with a yawn.

"You used to always kick you feet when you were dreaming." Burt replied. "You were always very active in your dreams." Kurt smiled, knowing that his would be one the last private moments he'd have with his dad for a very long time. "Well, come on. Carole is waiting for us downstairs." Burt replied, standing up from Kurt's bed. Kurt did the same before following his father down the staircase and into the kitchen, where the aroma of Carole's famous chicken parmesan filtered its way into Kurt's nose.

"Hey honey, I made your favorite." Carole replied.

"It's smells great." Kurt replied, taking his seat at the dinner table while Carole and Burt did the same.

'I can't believe this is our last family dinner for who knows how long." Carole said.

"I know." Kurt replied. "I can always skype you guys at dinner time, but I know that won't be the same. I know that this is going to be really hard for you guys…"

"We'll be sad and we'll miss you, but this is your dream job honey." Carole told him.

"Yeah bud, we totally support you." Burt added, giving Kurt a pat on the back.

'Thanks, I love you guys." Kurt said, taking another bite of his meal. After that, they had talked and laughed throughout the rest of the meal. Then, it was time for Kurt to leave. He brought all of his bags to living room and set them on the ground. There were only three, seeing as he couldn't take that much to Africa. Then, he turned to Carole and gave her a smile. Her eyes were teary. Kurt knew this was hard for her...after losing Finn. He gave her a hug and held her tightly as Carole silently cried into his shoulder. "I promise to skype you to say hi." Kurt replied.

"I-I'd like that." She cried, letting go of Kurt.

"You ready to go, bud?" Burt asked, grabbing two of Kurt's suitcases.

"Yeah, I-I think so" Kurt said, picking up his last bag. "Yeah, I'm good." he added before following his Dad out the front door. He put his paperwork in the backseat and then climbed into the passenger seat of his Dad's pickup truck. Burt did the same and then got into the passenger seat. As they drove to the airport, Burt tried to start a conversation, but he didn't know what to say.

"You were right when you said I was dreaming before." Kurt finally said.

"I know I was." Burt replied with a laugh. "You're my kid. I know you."

"I was dreaming about mommy." Kurt said. "We were at the zoo and I was feeding the penguins."

"You had some good times there." Burt replied. "The penguins always were your favorite, well except for.."

"The elephants." Kurt quickly said, butting in. "It's seems I've gone full circle."

"It seems so." Burt replied. "I just want to say I'm so proud of you Kurt. Your mother would be so proud too. I see so much of her in you." Kurt gave his Dad a smile, as the tears filled his eyes. He wished his mother was still around to see him. Burt pulled up to the front of the airport and parked the car. He grabbed Kurt's bags and set them on the ground next to his son.

"Well, have fun, and be amazing in Africa." Burt said pulling Kurt into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, Dad." Kurt said, hugging his father. Wiping his tear, Kurt broke away and picked up his bag and went into the airporting, taking one last glance at his father. Once inside, Kurt checked his two big suitcases and brought his carry on with him. He went to the end of the line at security and waited his turn. When he finally made it to the front, Kurt slipped off his shoes and placed them, along with his cell phone and wallet in the grey plastic bin, before walking through the security scanner. Luckily, it didn't beep. Kurt always had the worst lucky with that. After going through, he slipped his shoes back on and headed towards Gate 141. Once there, he took a seat and flipped through photos on his phone. He knew this was a new start, but this was also an end to something great. Kurt was really going to miss his friends. He smiled as he went through the numerous selfies of him, Rachel, and Mercedes. He even found some of Santana and Brittany who had apparently stolen his phone at some point.

"Flight 298 to Mthatha, Africa is now boarding." came a voice over the speaker. Kurt grabbed his bag and headed over to the gate. He showed the flight attendant his passport and then walked down the long terminal onto the plane. He looked for his seat...row D seat 9. Kurt found his row and praised jesus when he found out it was a window seat. He tucked his carry on under his seat and then took a seat in the padded chair. He prayed that the people sitting next to him wouldn't be too annoying, seeing as this was a twenty hour flight. He waited for a while until finally a nice couple too the seats next to him. Kurt let out a sigh of relief and took one of the few books he had put with in his carry on out. He put in his pair of earplugs and then began to read. The flight took off and Kurt's ears popped painfully. Luckily, he had some gum to try to ease that pain.

About six hours into the flight, Kurt finally tried to go to sleep. He leaned his head against the window and fell asleep to the vibrating noise of the plane's engine. He managed to sleep fitfully for another eight hours. So, when he woke up, Kurt survived four more hours of flying until they finally landed in Mthatha, South Africa. Kurt got off the plane and went to baggage claim and collected his two bags. Then, he went to look for his ride. He looked around and near the door, he saw a man with a sign that said his name. That gave Kurt a pretty good inclination that was hi guy. He walked over to the man and smiled.

"You are Mister Hummel?" the man asked, his voice thick with his South African accent.

"Yes," Kurt replied with a smile.

"You need help with your bags?" the man asked

"That would be great." Kurt replied. The man picked up one of Kurt's bags and then led him out to a buggie outside of the hospital, He threw Kurt's bag in the back and helped him place the other two. Then, Kurt got into the passenger seat while the man got in the other.

"In two hour, we'll be at the reserve." the man told him as he began to drive. Kurt nodded. He was exhausted, so he leaned his head back onto the seat and closed his eyes. Before he knew it he was asleep. Then, he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Mister Hummel...we're at the reserve." Kurt woke up and got out of the buggie. He grabbed his bags and walked into the reserve. "Miss Rodgers, the head biologist, is waiting for you at the research center, right over there."

"Thank you." Kurt replied, lugging his suitcases. He went to the research lab building and looked around. The place was amazing.

"Are you Mr. Hummel?" he heard a woman call.

"Uhh...yes." Kurt replied. "You must be Miss Rodgers." he added.

"Please, it's Emma." The woman replied. "There's only four of us on the team. We'll get to know each other very well."

"Then, it's Kurt." he told her.

"Well, Kurt," she began. "Would you like to see the reserve?"

"I'd love that." Kurt replied. He set his suitcases aside and then followed Emma outside.

"Over there is the nursery for the baby animals on our reserve. Next to it is the mess hall and our food storage areas for the animals. The large building is the animal hospital and the three smaller buildings next to it are housing. There aren't many of us on the reserve so that tends to hold all of us. You've already seen the research lab and the maintenance building is next to that. The pens around the reserve are for our animals that are permanent residents, meaning that they can't go back into the wild." Emma explained.

"This place is amazing." Kurt said. "And I can't wait to get started on research for the elephant project."

"Actually…" Emma began. "You won't be starting that for a while."

"I don't understand. I was hired to work on that project." Kurt replied.

"And you will." Emma told him. "But, before we let you do research, we have to make sure that you can handle working with the animals. So, you'll train with one of our most experienced wildlife vets."

"Okay, where will I find them?" Kurt asked. He wasn't thrilled that he'd be doing more with the animals. He liked animals, but learning about him was his true passion.

"Oh, Dr. Anderson is right over there." Emma told him point to a man just across the reserve. "Dr. Anderson! Can you come over here please?" she called. The man, hearing his name, turned around and began to walked closer to Emma and Kurt. The man had dark curly hair, golden eyes, and a beautiful white toothed smile. Plus, his muscles showed through his shirt that he was wearing. Kurt bit his lip. Suddenly, he wasn't so upset about not getting to do research right away. Maybe some vet. work would do him good.


	3. Chapter 3

As Dr. Anderson walked over to Kurt and Emma, Kurt felt his chest tighten. He had never seen someone so attractive. Kurt normally went for clean shaven guys in suits, but there was something about Dr. Anderson's stubble covered face; the way his muscles looked in his tight t-shirt; the way his shorts hugged his butt; his adorably messy hair; Kurt practically couldn't control himself.

"Emma, you called?" Dr. Anderson said as he walked over to him. "God even his voice is sexy" Kurt thought.

"Yes, this is Kurt Hummel." Emma explained. "He's a new biologist on my team. You obviously know that I have my employees train under you when they first begin, so you know the drill."

"Of course." Dr. Anderson replied. "I'm Blaine," He said, extending his hand to Kurt.

'K-Kurt." Kurt stuttered back, taking Blaine's hand. Blaine gave him a smile, obviously seeing how nervous Kurt was.

"Well, I have to start feeding the animals, so I guess this is where we leave you, Emma." Blaine replied.

'Oh of course," Emma replied. "I'll leave the lab open so you can get your luggage after you're finished with Blaine, Kurt."

"Thank you, Emma." Kurt replied as he began to walk with Blaine. "So where to?" Kurt asked nervously.

"Well, over here," Blaine began. "We have Melody." he added. Kurt looked to the pen in front of him and watched as a timid baby giraffe wandered out of the shadows. She ambled to the front of the pen, obviously recognizing Blaine. He reached his hand out and brushed his hand up and down her back. "Hello, there baby girl. How are you doing today?" Blaine cooed.

"She's cute." Kurt replied. "Where's her mother?"

"Mother was killed by a lion." Blaine explained. "We do daily grounds ride arounds to check and see if there are any hurt animals. We saw her mother lying there and Melody was hiding in the brush. We knew that she would never survive on her own, so we took her back to camp. She's been with us ever since. Would you like to feed her? She still gets a bottle."

"Sure," Kurt replied with a smile. Blaine went into the enclosure and grabbed a bottle of milk from the food supply. Then he handed it to Kurt. "What do I do?"

"It's just like feeding a baby." Blaine laughed. "Don't tell me you've never fed a baby?"

"O-of course I have." Kurt laughed. "Just not a baby giraffe."

"Just hold the nipple of the bottle up to her mouth and Melody will do all the work." Blaine reassured him. Kurt nodded and did as Blaine said. He watched in awe as the baby began sucking furiously on the bottle. "Geez, she's hungry."

"This is why I'm never late with feeding time." Blaine laughed. "The animals will eat me if I'm not careful." Kurt smiled and continued to feed Melody who was almost through with her bottle. "Well, she's pretty much done. Want to move on?" Blaine asked

"Sure," Kurt replied, taking the bottle from Melody's mouth and giving her a comforting pat. Then he followed Blaine to the next pen which held a very angry looking cheetah.

"I think it's best if I go in alone." Blaine told him. "Leon's been pretty unhappy since we found him. His front paw was amputated after being caught in a metal trap."

"Like poachers?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, we suspect that the trap belonged to poachers, but we found Leon a long time ago." Blaine explained. "If there were any poachers, they're gone now. But, ever since we brought him to the reserve, he's been very agitated to say the least. In my opinion, he's really just a cranky old bastard." he laughed. Kurt smiled and then watched as Blaine went into the enclosure.

"Hey Leon," Blaine said calmly. The cheetah growled and bared his teeth. "Oh stop, we both know I'm your favorite." Blaine countered as he set the food bowl down in front of the cheetah. "Eat up buddy. Maybe you won't be so miserable tomorrow." Blaine laughed. After Blaine got out of the pen, he led Kurt over to a pen with a baby rhino inside of it.

"Who is this?" Kurt asked.

"Ollie." Blaine replied. "I helped deliver him."

"You delivered a rhino?" Kurt asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, what? You've never done a C-section on a rhino?" Blaine asked sarcastically.

"I can't say I have." Kurt laughed.

"We found his mom in labor with him." Blaine began. "She was in distress, so we ended up taking her back to the hospital, where I and the other vets. performed a c-section. It saved both of their lives."

"Why isn't he with his mom now?" Kurt asked.

"We tried to reintroduce them, but Ollie's mom was dead set on hurting him." Blaine replied. "So, we had to let her go, but Ollie stayed here. Nature can be cruel sometimes. You can help me feed him,if you want. He's a sweetie pie." Kurt nodded and followed Blaine into the pen where they fed grass and other food to Ollie, who ate it happily. While in the pen, they heard shouts coming down the path.

"I'm gonna win!" they heard a little girl shriek.

"Nuh-uh! I'm gonna win!" another little boy replied. Blaine smiled as he watched the two children run down the path. He walked out of the pen and held out his hands. The little girl was the first to slap Blaine's hand, the little boy following not far behind.

"Haha! I won!" the little girl teased, which made the little boy's lip stick out and his eyes fill with tears.

"Hannah, what did I say about teasing your brother?" Blaine said picking up the little boy. "You are two years older than Danny and have much longer legs." Kurt, after making sure Ollie had his food went outside of the pen and caught up with Blaine. "Kurt, this is Hannah and Daniel. Can you guys say hi?" Hannah waved, while Daniel buried his face shyly into Blaine's collarbone. "Where is Amara?" Blaine asked, setting Daniel on the ground.

"She said we could race." Hannah replied quickly.

"Did she really?" Blaine asked, to which the little girl shook her head no. Blaine gave her a stern look before looking down the path. Kurt did the same and saw a tall black woman with a baby on her hip, breathing heavily coming up the path. "Amara, I'm sorry." Blaine called. "I will talk with them."

"I-it's okay." She replied, accent heavy. "I needed some exercise for the day."

"Well, how about you take a breather and I'll take this little cutie for a few minutes." Blaine said taking the baby from the woman's hip and bouncing his own. "Kurt, this is Amara, Hannah and Daniel's nanny. And this, is her adorable daughter, Zhara." he added. Blaine lifted the baby into the air and blew a raspberry on her bare tummy which made the baby laugh. Kurt could barely stand it. This was just so adorable.

"Can we go with you to feed the animals?" Hannah asked.

"Sure you can." Blaine replied. "That'll give Amara a break from you two. Would you like me to take Zhara with me?" he asked.

"No, I'll take her." Amara replied. "She's easier than those two." Blaine smiled and handed the baby back to her mother.

"Alright, who should we go see first?" Blaine asked, turning to Hannah and Daniel.

"I want to see Noelle and Tara." Hannah replied.

"Then to the lions we go." Blaine replied, taking one of each child's hands. Kurt followed behind, smiling all the way. This sight was just too cute. They got to another pen and Kurt saw two female lions and one male. The one female was way larger than a normal female, so Kurt assumed she was pregnant. "That's Noelle." Blaine said, interrupting Kurt's thoughts. "She's pregnant and is due pretty soon. You'll be able to be here for that...maybe even help. Tara is the other female. She was orphaned as a cub. We found her and Noelle adopted her as her own. That doesn't happen very often."

"And who's the male?" Kurt asked.

"That's Jack." Blaine replied. "He's been here a while and he's going blind."

"Can we go in?" Hannah asked. Blaine nodded and gave her a thumbs up. Kurt, at first was alarmed. Maybe he had made his judgement too soon. What was Blaine thinking letting these two little kids go in a pen with lions? But, as Kurt watched, he was surprised when the lions came up to the two kids and began rubbing against them and purring.

"Wow," Kurt said in disbelief. "They're so gentle."

"Both Noelle and Tara a both very loving." Blaine explained. "I won't let them near Jack. He's gentle but with the blindness...I'm not taking any chances." They both watched as the kids put out the food for the lions. "Come on guys, we still have other stops to make!" Blaine called. Hannah and Daniel finished up and then left the pen.

"Time to go see Sophie." Hannah exclaimed with a grin. Kurt could only guess who Sophie was. They walked down the path and came to with two large elephants in it. Kurt hadn't seen elephants since he had been in the zoo with his mother years ago. He had forgotten how big they were. In a pen right next to the other, was a baby elephant. When he saw Hannah run in and give the baby elephant a hug, Kurt assumed it was safe to assume that Sophie.

"They were born around the same time." Blaine explained. "Sophie and Hannah grew up together. They're each other's best friends." Blaine smiled as Hannah talked animately with Sophie as she fed her. "The big ones are Lola and Lila. They're sisters. I helped rescue them from a mudslide." he added. Kurt nodded, trying to process all of these animals stories. It was just so amazing that a place like this even existed. While watching the kids, Blaine got a page on his pager. He looked at it and muttered "Shit…" Then, he motioned for Hannah and Daniel to come out of the pen. "I need to go. I got a page, so your training for today is over." Blaine told Kurt. "But, you must be exhausted anyway. I'll let you go get your stuff and have you go and find your room. Naomi, she takes care of laundry, will show you to your room." he said. "I'm sorry, but I really need to go." Blaine said, taking Hannah and Daniel's hands and rushing off with them.

Kurt, who was a bit confused at what just happened, eventually came back to his senses. He went back to the research lab and grabbed his luggage. Then, he went to the housing building and found Naomi who showed him to his room. Inside there was a bed, a television, a fridge and a desk. In the wall, there was a closet and in a separate room was the bathroom. It wasn't very big, but it was going to be home for a while, so Kurt was determined to get used to it. He set his bags to the side and then flopped down on the bed. Despite his level of exhaustion, Kurt couldn't fall asleep. A certain doctor was on his mind and just wouldn't leave.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Kurt wakes up when the sun shines in through the window and on to his face. He goes to hit his alarm clock, but quickly realizes it's not there. He yawns and sits up in bed, looking out of the window. It's then that he remembers...he's in Africa! Kurt gets up from his bed and wanders over to his unpacked bags and grabs out a pair of clothes and pulls them on. Then, he fixes his hair and grabs his bag before leaving his room. He goes out of the housing building and ventures on to the lands of the reserve. He's really hungry, but he figures he should go to the research lab and check in with Emma before doing anything. He walks the short distance to the labs and then heads inside.

Once there, he sees Emma at her desk and two other people also in the room. "Kurt! You're here!" Emma says excitedly.

"Yes, I'm sorry if I'm late." He stutters out.

"Don't worry about it." She replies. "We all know that it's hard to adjust to the time difference when you first get here. Plus, we weren't doing anything very important." she adds. "But anyway, come in. Come meet the members of the team." Kurt smiles and walks further into the lab. "This is Randy." Emma says motioning to a tall man with an angry look on his face.

"It's Randall." The man replies in a monotone voice, shaking Kurt's hands.

"And this is Taylor." Emma adds, motioning to a short girl with dark curly hair and rectangular glasses.

"Hi, It's so nice to meet you." the girl rambles. "I'm Taylor...well you already know that. Sorry, am I rambling? I tend to ramble in front of new people."

"You're fine." Kurt laughs. Even though Taylor seems to be a bit quirky, Kurt can't help but like her. She kind of reminded him of Brittany...but a bit smarter.

"Emma, can I go now?" Randy...or Randall asked with a roll of his eyes.

"Yes, you may go." Emma replied with a sigh. Randall without a second thought left the research lab.

"Don't mind him." Taylor told Kurt, grabbing his arm. "Randy's a douchebag; A good scientist, but very socially challenged."

"No he seems like a nice…" Kurt begins.

"Douchebag." Taylor says cutting him off. "There's no need to deny it. Even Emma knows it."

"I'm the boss. I'm neutral." Emma replies, going back to the article she had been reading."

"Well, she definitely knows it too." Taylor repeats. "Emma, Kurt and I are going to go and grab some food and then we'll be back."

"Go for it." Emma replies. "Kurt, remember that you'll be working with Blaine today as well."

"Yes Miss Ro- I mean Emma." Kurt replies, a little distracted by Blaine's name. Before Kurt can do anything else, Taylor grabs him by the arm and pulls him out of the building.

"I saw that!" Taylor squeals as they start walking towards the mess hall.

"Saw what?" Kurt asks, his cheeks still flushed.

"I saw how you reacted when Emma said you'd be working with Blaine." Taylor said. "You like him."

"What? No I don't!" Kurt quickly replies, feeling his cheeks get even hotter.

"No you totally do." Taylor replies. "Nothing to be embarrassed about. When I first got here, I wanted to mount him so hard, but he's not really my team."

" So Blaine is gay?" Kurt asks.

"Duh," Taylor replies.

"But he's got kids." he points out.

"Their not his." Taylor replies. "Anyone can see that. Blaine's got dark black curly hair. Hannah and Daniel are blonde, blue-eyed children. Plus. I know for a fact they're the children of two former wildlife vets. from the reserve that were killed in some kind of accident. It's simple genetics Kurt, come on!"

"Give me a break. I got here a day ago." he counters.

"So, are you going to ask him out?" She asked, a smirk on her face.

"He's like my boss!" Kurt replies.

"No, Emma's your boss." She replied. "Blaine's the cute wildlife vet. with a nice ass. that I would totally tap that if he was into girls. Come on, Kurt. Take one for the team."

"But-I-I can't." Kurt said. "I'm here for work. I've been here for one day for goodness' sake. I can't start a relationship."

"Why not?" Taylor asks. "If there was any datable man here, I'd be doing him."

"God, can we just stop talking about this." Kurt groaned. "I just want to eat this crappy cereal in peace." he adds, motioning to the cereal he just got from the mess hall.

"Fine." Taylor replies. "So, where are you from?"

"Ohio." Kurt replies.

"Really, I'm from Pennsylvania!" Taylor replies. "What made you want to leave the states?" she asked.

"I don't know. Ohio was fine, but I just wanted a new start." Kurt replied.

"You could have started fresh in a new state. Come on, why did you come to Africa?" Taylor pressed. Kurt was about to answer her when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looks to his right and there before him stood Daniel.

"Hi," Kurt said, with a smile.

"Hi." Daniel replied sweetly.

"Daniel, honey, where's your Uncle Blaine?" Taylor asked.

"Breakfast." he replies sweetly.

"And does he know you're over here?" she asked him. Daniel shook his head. "Well, I think that Kurt should take you back to your uncle." she said, giving Kurt a look.

"Uhh- yeah I-I guess I could do that." Kurt replied and stood up from table and grabbed Daniel's hand before leading him over to Blaine and Hannah who were in line.

"Oh hi Kurt!" Blaine said. "Daniel, why-?...Did he wander off again?"

"I went to go say hi." Daniel replies indignantly.

"Well, you need to ask next time before you go say hi." Blaine scolds. "Anyway, Kurt, I actually was looking for you. I'm heading out to the seaside part of the reserve. We have ships out there and two dolphins in enclosures. I'd like to know if you wanted to come."

"Umm, sure." Kurt relies, a bit flustered.

"Cool." Blaine says with a smile. "Just give me a chance to get the kids fed and with Amara and then we'll head out." Kurt nodded and then he headed back to the table where Taylor was sitting.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" Kurt repeated.

"What? What happened?" Taylor asked.

"He wants me to go to the seaside part of the reserve with him." Kurt told her. "...just the two of us."

"That's awesome." She squeals, pushing her glass up further on her nose. Kurt sits down and puts his face on table.

"What am I going to do?" he groans. "He makes me so nervous and I just act like a moron."

"Well calm down." Taylor tells him. "He's a nice guy. Just relax and be yourself."

"What if he doesn't like me?" Kurt asks. "What if-?" Suddenly, he' cut off by Blaine's smiling face as he asks, "You ready to go?"

"Y-Yeah." Kurt replies nervously standing up from the table. He begins to follow Blaine out of the mess hall and looks behind him, back to Taylor and mouths "Help me!" She just gives him a smile and wave before watching the two of them leave. Once outside, Blaine leads Kurt to a buggie and they both get in.

"Seaside here we come." Blaine replies with a smile.

"Here we come." Kurt replies nervously, holding on to the rail for dear life. This was going to be a long drive.


	5. Chapter 5

Driving through the African countryside, Kurt couldn't help but feel nervous driving in the same car as Blaine. He tried to distract himself by looking at the sights around him. All around the reserve were animals. Frankly, Kurt was surprised at the fact. He knew that animals would be there, but he never expect them to just leave them alone.

"They won't hurt us." Blaine said, interrupting Kurt's thoughts.

"What?" Kurt asked.

"The animals. They never really come near any of the buggies. There's plenty of food and water, so they're not desperate." Blaine explained. "We haven't had any incidents with any of the animals on the reserve."

"Well that's good to know." Kurt laughed. "So how close are we to the seaside part of the reserve?"

'Only a few minutes." he told him. "We have a ship for research there and two enclosures with our dolphins, who can't be released back into the wild. Their names are Hope and Faith."

"Why can't they be released?" Kurt asked.

"We found Faith and Hope a few years ago. Faith was beached and Hope was determined not to leave her. Both girls were dying, so we brought them back to the reserve and pumped them full of fluids and antibiotics, so they could recover. After that, we had no choice to but to continue taking care of them. Both were still young and without their pod, they would never survive." Blaine told him. "Well, now that I've told you about them, would you like to meet them?" he asks, just as the buggie pulls up to the ship on the seaside part of the reserve.

"I'd love to." Kurt replies. He followed Blaine out of the buggie and over to the two enclosures. Blaine handed him a wet suit. Blaine was quick to pull it on and then move towards the water. Kurt on the other hand was a bit slower, seeing as he had never put on a wetsuit before. Finally, he got it and went towards the water. Blaine was already in there interacting with the dolphins. "Wow, you're pretty brave." Kurt laughed.

"Oh, Faith and Hope are sweethearts. They wouldn't hurt anyone, especially me. I was there when they were found and their for their recovery. Now, get in here. Unless you're scared?" Blaine teases. Kurt gives him a smile before walking into the water towards the two dolphins. "Kurt, this is Hope and Faith." he says. "Can you say hi back?" Kurt, despite the fact that Blaine was talking to him like a child, appeased him and waved to the two dolphins. However, he was surprised when the dolphins waved back, making him smile.

"They know tricks too?" Kurt asked delighted.

"Well, they had to do something here." Blaine replied. "I went online and learned about training. It wasn't too hard. These two girls are pretty smart. Do you want to see more?" he asked. Kurt nodded. After, Blaine did a series of whistled commands and Kurt watched as Faith and Hope did tons on flips and tricks in the air. It was amazing. After doing all the flips, Blaine taught Kurt a few of the simple commands. He shook hands with both of the dolphins and even gave them a kiss. Blaine even showed him the command for the dolphins to allow someone to hold him. At the end, Blaine instructed Kurt on one of the girls' newest tricks.

"Okay, keep your legs straight. If you bend them, they'll stop." Blaine informed him. Kurt nodded and straightened his legs as Blaine blew the whistled and Hope went behind him. He felt Hope press her nose to his feet and then suddenly Kurt felt his body being propelled forward. It was like he was flying.

"That was so much fun!" Kurt exclaimed, when they were finished.

"I'm glad you had fun." Blaine replied. "Hanging out with Faith and Hope is always a fun pass time. Well, we better get back to the main part of the reserve. It's getting late and it'll be getting cold."

"But this is Africa?" Kurt asked with a laugh. "It gets cold?"

"You have no idea." Blaine replied. "It gets hot, but it also gets cold." As they began driving, Kurt began to realize Blaine was right. As soon as the sun set, it got very very cold, cold enough that Kurt was shivering. "See, I told you." Blaine said, handing Kurt his other jacket. "Put this on." Kurt, his teeth chattering, nodded and took the jacket and wrapped it around himself.

"T-thank y-you." Kurt replied, still shivering. As they continued to drive Kurt looked out over the vast land. At one point, Kurt though what he was seeing was a simply rock, but then the rock slowly moved. He looked closer and saw a long grey trunk and quickly realized that it was no rock, but a baby elephant. "Stop!" Kurt screamed, making Blaine slam on the breaks.

"W-what's wrong?" Blaine demanded, but Kurt was already climbing out of the buggie and running across the land. "Kurt! Come back! Kurt!" he yelled as he too got out of the car and ran after Kurt. Blaine watched as Kurt ran over to something on the ground. Blaine ran too and his eyes grew wide when he realized he was looking at a baby elephant. Blaine threw himself to the ground and went into action. He pressed his ear to the baby's chest and could hear that his heart beat was slow.

"What's wrong with him?" Kurt asked.

"He's clearly dehydrated and starving." Blaine told him. "If we don't get him back to the hospital, he's going to die." he added, placing his own jacket over the baby elephant. Then, he reached for his walkie talkie on his belt and pressed the button to send a message. "This is Dr. Anderson. I'm here with Dr. Hummel and we found an injured male elephant. He's dehydrated and suffering from starvation. We need a truck right away! Please-please hurry!" he called, praying for someone to answer his prayers.


	6. Chapter 6

Kurt and Blaine were able to keep the baby elephant alive long enough for the team to arrive with a large truck at their disposal. "What do we got Blaine?" A large man asked.

"Baby elephant, male...clearly dehydrated and starving." Blaine answered as the crew of people crowded around the elephant. They positioned themselves around the animal and then with all of their might lifted the baby elephant onto the platform, that rose up on the truck. After that they got into the truck and pulled the baby inside. Once the elephant was situated, they began to drive back to the camp on the bumpy terrain. The baby elephant was clearly agitated and scared and wouldn't stop moving. "It's so weird that his herd left him. Elephants are normally so protective of their young." Blaine said in surprise.

"They might have thought he was too far gone and that they couldn't save him.' Kurt replied. Just then the truck hit a bump and the elephant made a loud noise.

"Shh, shh buddy.' Blaine soothed. "It's all okay. You're okay." Then, he turned to Kurt. "Kurt, I have to assess him further, so I need you to get on this side. Talk to him and calm him down. He's just like a baby."

"Umm...okay." Kurt replied switching his position in the truck. Blaine began to asses the elephant and Kurt, still hesitant, began to talk. "Hey, it's okay. You're going to be okay. You have a good team of doctors working on you." he said, running his hand along the elephants head. And, surprisingly, the elephant seemed to calm down. Soon after, the truck reached the reserve and the team got the baby elephant into the animal hospital. They began hooking him up to and IV and began getting him rehydrated. Finally, the baby elephant seemed to be out of the woods. "Is he going to be okay?" Kurt asked Blaine after the elephant was finally stable.

"Yeah, he's getting rehydrated. He should start to perk up soon." Blaine replied. "He's going to have to become a permanent resident. Without a herd, there's no way that he'll be able to survive. So, this little guy needs name and since you are the one who found him, the honor is yours."

"I get to choose?" Kurt asked in disbelief. Blaine gave him a nod. Kurt thought for a moment and then it came to him. This little guy was strong in so many ways just like someone else he knew. "Finn." Kurt replied. "His name is Finn."

The next day, Kurt decided to have lunch with Taylor. He told her all about the day he had with Blaine; how they had swam with the dolphins and how they had found Finn. "Ooh! He totally likes you." Taylor practically squealed. "I'm sure of it!"

'I don't know." Kurt replied, with a shrug.

"Stop being so modest." Taylor replied with a slap to Kurt's arm. "You're hot and so is he. Just be a couple!"

"I'll think about it." Kurt laughed. "I have to go and take care of Finn. I'll see you later." Taylor gave him a wink and then watched her friend leave. Kurt began walking to Finn's enclosure and on the way there he saw Daniel climbing on a few hay bales. The little boy was hopping all over the place. And then it happened in slow motion. Daniel hopped from one bale to the next and his foot slipped and he fell to the ground. Then, Daniel began to cry and Kurt was quick to run over to him. "Hey, it's okay." He said. "Let me see. What hurts?"

"M-my knee." Daniel cries. Kurt looks at the little boys knee and sees a large scrape, but nothing too bad.

"Let's go clean that up." Kurt says. He picked Daniel up under his armpits and then carries him into the animal hospital not too far away. While in Kurt's arms, Daniel nestles his head into Kurt's shoulder and Kurt can't help but smile. He takes the little boy into an exam room and sits him on a table. "Okay, I think we just need a little disinfectant and a bandage." He cleans Daniel's wound and then places a bandage over it.

"Thank you." Daniel replies sweetly.

"You're welcome honey." Kurt replied. "How about we go find your Uncle?" he asks. Daniel nodded and reached his arms to Kurt, who gladly picked him up. He went outside and began to look for Blaine. He eventually found him by Finn's enclosure. "Hey Kurt!" He yelled before noticing his nephew. "Danny are you okay?" he asked.

"He got a little boo boo, but he's fine." Kurt replied handing the boy over to his Uncle.

"Aww well thank you Kurt...for doing that for him." Blaine replied. "As - uhh - a thank you, how would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow night?" he asked. Kurt felt his cheeks blush and couldn't believe this was happened.

"I would love that." He replied with a smile.

"Great,' Blaine replied. "Well, we should take care of Finn. I'm sure he's hungry." he added and Kurt nodded. Maybe Taylor was right? Maybe he should just go for it with Blaine?


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Kurt pulled on his very best clothes before making his way over to Blaine's house. He nervously knocked on the door and waited until it finally opened revealing Blaine, who had a huge smile on his face. "Kurt, you're here!" He replied. "Hannah! Daniel! Kurt is here!" He heard little footsteps running down the hallway before suddenly being hit in the legs by two little kids.

"Whoa!" Kurt gasped. "Hi guys." he added with a laugh as he hugged both of them.

"Come on guys, let's Kurt at least get in the door." Blaine said.

"Kurt, you have to come play!" Hannah said pulling Kurt by the hand into the living room where their were a variety of different toys scattered. Kurt smiled and then was bombarded as the kids showed him all of their different toys. Blaine smiled off in the corner as he watched Hannah and Daniel played with Kurt. They didn't get to hang out with many people so this was a rare occassion. Unfortunately the oven went off and Blaine was forced to stop watching the fun. He pulled the homemade pizza out of the oven and set it on the top of the stove.

"Hey guys! Dinner is ready." Blaine called. He called and waited as Kurt, Hannah and Daniel filed into the kitchen.

'I love homemade pizza!" Hannah cheered as she took a seat.

"I can see why." Kurt said. "It smells great."

'"Thank you." Blaine replied, bringing over four plates. They all sat at the table nibbling on their pizza, laughing and talking. It was really fun. then, when they were done, Blaine cleaned up while Hannah and Daniel kidnapped Kurt to go and play with them again. When he was finished, Blaine went into the living room. "I know you guys don't want to hear this, but it's time for bed." he announced.

"Awww Uncle Blaine, can't we stay up for a bit longer?" Hannah asked, finishing with a yawn.

"Nope, come on." Blaine said. "Say goodbye to Kurt."

"Bye Kurt." Both Hannah and Daniel said before giving him a hug and heading upstairs.

"This shouldn't take too long." Blaine said. "I will be right back." he added before running upstairs after the two kids. Kurt sat downstairs happily as he waited for Blaine. The night was really going great. About twenty minutes later, Blaine came back downstairs and grabbed two beers before sitting next to Kurt on the couch.

"Sorry about the kids." he said.

"No, they're fine. They're adorable actually." Kurt replied. "I was wondering though...where are their parents? I noticed they call you Uncle Blaine." Blaine looked down sadly before taking a deep breath.

"Their parent's are dead." Blaine replied.

"Oh Blaine, I'm so sorry." Kurt began.

"No it's okay." Blaine added. "Sometimes its just hard to talk about. Kayla and Matthew were my best friends. They were both wildlife vets. here on the reserve. I met Kayla first and then ended up introducing her to Matthew. I was the best man at their wedding and they made me the godfather for both of their kids. They got into a car accident in the city when they went to get food...and-and they didn't make it." he explained.

"Oh Blaine, that's awful." Kurt said. "Unfortunately, I know just how you feel. My brother- Finn, the one who I named the elephant after- was killed in a car crash a few years ago." Blaine looked up from his lap, his eyes teary.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." Blaine said. Kurt nodded in confirmation and then he just leaned forward and pressed his lips to Blaine's. Kurt didn't know what force came over his body, but when he finally came back to reality, he pulled his lips from Blaine's mouth.

"I-I I'm so sorry." Kurt stuttered out.

"No, kurt really it's fine." Blaine said, but Kurt wasn't listening. He was so embarrassed that he took one last look at Blaine before bolting out of the house and back to his own apartment. When he got there he collapsed on the bed and mentally scolded himself for being such an idiot.

The next morning, Kurt made his way to the labs in the hopes of avoiding Blaine. He began researching for the elephant project and happened to come across the this waterfall that the elephants went during mating season...which was right now. This could be the big break that the team needed to discover why the elephant population was declining. By the time Kurt made this discovery, he look to the clock and saw it was late. He needed to take care of Finn. He left his research and then began walking to Finn's enclosure. When he got close, he could see Blaine waiting for him. He wanted to turn back but knew he needed to do this.

"Kurt, can we please just talk?" Blaine said, when he got closer.

"I'd rather not talk about stupid I am." Kurt said. "I shouldn't have kissed you. You're my boss and I know that's wrong. But I-"

"Kurt! Just shut up!" Blaine said, cutting him off. "I liked the kiss and I kissed you back."

"Y-you did?" Kurt asked.

"Wow, if you can't tell maybe I should work on my kissing." Blaine laughed. Kurt blushed and then looked at Blaine, excitement still in his eyes about his recent discovery. "Hey, what's going on with you? You seem jumpy or excited or something."

"I made a huge break in the elephant project." Kurt said before going in a whole rant about the waterfall and how that could be the key to solving the mystery. After that Blaine insisted that Kurt had to visit there...and he needed to take him with him. After all, he knew the land and having a medic wouldn't be a bad idea. Kurt finally agreed. The plan was set. Blaine arranged for Amara to watch the kids during the day and Taylor volunteered to do it at night. Then, they packed up their gear and drove to the waterfall.

They got to the waterfall around noon and couldn't believe their eyes. It was beautiful. "It's gorgeous." Kurt said. "But I don't get it. Where's the herd?"

"They may have just gone to look for food." Blaine said. "I'm sure they'll come back. But, for now, come take a swim with me. It's so hot out here." he said. The next thing Kurt knew, Blaine was slipping out of his shirt and shorts and was just standing there in his boxers. "Well, come on." he coaxed with a smile. Kurt smiled back and then slipped off his clothes until he was only in his boxers as well. Then Blaine reached out his hand and Kurt took it. They climbed to the top of the cliff and looked down. It was really high. "Together." Blaine said. "On the count of three. 1...2...3!" He yelled before they jumped off hand and hand and landed in the water below. They swam back up to the surface and laughed. That had been so much fun. Then they swam towards the falls and went through to a cave like place. When Kurt wasn't looking, Blaine took his chance and pressed a kiss to Kurt's lips and Kurt kissed him back.

"That was my turn kissing you." Blaine replied after breaking away from Kurt. Kurt smiled back and kissed him once again. After that, Kurt and Blaine decided to camp there for the night. They lay out the blanket from the truck and cuddled against one another in the cave until they slowly fell asleep together.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, Blaine and Kurt didn't get to wake up peacefully. They instead were ripped from each other's hold by pairs of meaty hands. They didn't realize what was going on until they were tied up in the back of a truck. These men were poachers. They took Blaine and Kurt back to their camp where in huge corral was the elephant herd. Kurt had just figured out why the population was declining. The men tied Kurt and Blaine together around a post and then went about their business, figuring the men were stuck.

Out of fear, the boys didn't speak until the cover of night fall. "Kurt, we have to get out of here."

"I know." Kurt sniffled. "But, how? We're tied up." Suddenly, a metal glint caught Blaine's eye. It was knife that one of the poachers must have dropped. He reached with his feet and could just reach it. He kicked it around until it was in the proper position for his tied hands to reach it. Then, Blaine began to cut through the ropes. "Your doing it." Kurt replied with a smile, quietly because the poachers were asleep. After a while of cutting the rope finally snapped and Kurt and Blaine pulled their hands free. "You did it! We're free!" Kurt exclaimed pulling him into a hug.

"Yeah, now we have to get out of here." Blaine said grabbing Kurt's hand. He knew they couldn't take a truck. It would wake the poachers, so he began to lead Kurt into the land of the reserve.

"Wait! What about the elephants?" Kurt asked.

"We cant do anything about that now." Blaine replied. "An elephant stampede would surely wake the poachers up, but once we're back to the reserve we can send police to capture them and set the elephants free. Right now, we just need to get back to the reserve." Kurt nodded knowing Blaine was right. They began running through the frigid cold air. They walked for hours before finally both of their legs gave out. It was just too far and too cold.

"We're going to die, aren't we?" Kurt asked.

"No, they'll find us." Blaine replied. "I know they will." Suddenly there was a sound of an engine and bright yellow headlights coming towards them. Scared it was the poachers, Kurt and Blaine began to run, but the truck Kurt them off. Luckily, Taylor's voice came through the air and Kurt ran to hug his friend. They had found them and everything was going to be okay. After getting into the truck, they went back to the reserve where the police were called and dispatched. They found the poachers and took them into custody and then set the herd of elephants free. It seemed like Kurt's time in Africa was quickly coming to an end. Without the elephant project, he didn't have a job. Taylor had already made plans for a new job at a research facility about an hour away and Randy was already gone. But, Kurt didn't want to leave.

"You know...you don't have to leave." Blaine said.

"I don't have a job." Kurt replied. "What am I going to do?"

"Stay here with me." Blaine replied. "Stay with Hannah, Daniel and I."

"I can't just not have anything to do." Kurt replied. "I need a job."

"I know that." Blaine counter. "I talked to the chief of the wildlife vets. You can have a job as a wildlife vet if you want it."

"Blaine, are you serious?" Kurt asked, and Blaine gave him a smile. Kurt beamed back and threw his arms around Blaine. He was going to get to stay...stay in Africa and stay with Blaine. Yes, this was the beginning of new journey that was going to be very special and contain so many moments to remembers…

Epilogue

Just five years later...Kurt and Blaine held hands as they walked through the reserve. They had just finished their duties for the day and were heading to Amara's apartment to pick up the kids. Ever since that special day, things had gone well for the new family. Kurt and Blaine continued to date until the day that Blaine took Kurt back to the waterfall and proposed. They had a simple ceremony and were married, Hannah and Daniel by their sides. Ever since, they had been happier than ever.

Kurt and Blaine knocked on the door and waited before it finally opened. Inside Amara was sitting on the bed and Hannah and Daniel were with her. "Hey guys." Blaine called as they walked in.

"Uncle Blaine! Uncle Kurt!" The two kids screamed as they raced to give them a hug.

"Was she any trouble today?" Kurt asked, as he picked up Elizabeth, their newly adopted daughter and cradled her to his chest.

"No, she's an angel." Amara replied.

"Uncle Blaine, can we go back to the house?" Hannah asked.

"Sure, we can." he replied. "I think tonight's a perfect night for homemade pizza." he announced and both kids said goodnight to Amara and then headed out on the reserve back home...as a family...ready to make new moment to remember.


End file.
